Cool Story Brah!

I forgot to mention this in my post about wanting to open a book store, but this is National Banned Books Week.  I first became aware of such a week when I was working at a bookstore in a mall in Taunton.  I was still in college, my mother was a high school reading specialist, and she explained what it was all about.  Being the idealistic youth that I was, I thought it would be a great idea for my store to put up some kind of display to commemorate it.  I was a little taken aback when they were hesitant.  There was all kinds of talk about having to run it through corporate (we were part of a chain) and would this turn people off, et. cetera.  For the life of me, I couldn't understand why they weren't embracing the idea (I know, young and naive).  Why wouldn't a bookstore, of all places, want to celebrate the First Ammendment?

After a little back and forth, it was decided that I could put up a display.  But not in the front window display area.  I was to create my tribute to thought on the wall behind the registers.  Fair enough, I said, at least they're letting me do it.  I think the front window was devoted to kids' Halloween reading, like R.L. Stine and such.  I contacted the American Library Association to get some materials, including posters and some pins to give out, and a list of the then top 100 banned or challenged books in the US.  I hand wrote bookmarks for each book on the display, detailing the nature of the ban or challenge.  I purposefully included books that were pretty popular, or books that most people wouldn't think of as being all that controversial by authors like Roald Dahl. C.S. Lewis, and Judy Blume, as well as the Bible.

I think the management was hoping it would just be something small that no one would notice, but it definitely got attention.  Folks took pictures, sometimes with me standing in front.  And not a few people, having made it up to the register to check out, decided to buy one of the banned books on the wall as well.  The managers were, shall we say, tepid in their acknowledgement of the display's success, but I was thrilled.  I had stood up for the freedom to read, write, and think whatever you wanted.  And I did it in a mall, no less.  I even kept one of the posters to hang on my bedroom wall when the week was done.

Looking back, I think that may have been the catalyst for me wanting to open my own bookstore.  The fact that I was hosting my college radio station's punk show helped inspire the idea of combining books and records (not exactly a revolutionary concept, I realize).  As I flesh out my idea a little more, I'll keep posting updates.  And of course if/when this ever becomes a reality, you're all invited to the grand opening.

Now Dance...